Valve construction



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0ct. l5, 1935. A. C, WADE 2,017,824

vALvE'coNsTRUCTIoN Filed July 17, 1930 Patented Cc't. l5, 1935 VALVEooNs'rnUc'rroN:

uApplication July rz, 1930, serial No. 468,592 4 claims. (c1. csr-121)This invention pertains to surge pumps for hot' d oil and hot or coldcorrosive fluid and, more particularly, to surge valves and theirconstruction.

In processing petroleum oils vit is often desirable or necessary toplace and maintain the oils under high pressures and temperatures.Whenever it is required that such oils at high temperatures, say around600 to 650 F., be put under considerable pressure, or, if already underpresi valves are located, the pump merely serving to4 create pressuresurges in the oil. The hot oil is usually extremely corrosive in itsaction on metals and at the pressures and consequent high velocities ofits passage through the surge chamber and past the valves therein causesa very rapid erosion of the parts. Perhaps no parts are aected more thanthe valve cages which serve to confine the ball valves (checks) in theirproper positions. Heretofore such cages have been of what may be termedthe spider" or screen type, the legs of the spider. type serving toretain the ball valve, the spaces between the legs permitting the oil toflow on; the large number of openings in the screen type serving thislatter purpose. 'he rapid corrosion and erosion of the valve cages ofthe aforesaid and other prior types have made it necessary to replacethe cages very often, in the case of a continuous pressure still asoften as after every run, a run being about two weeks duration.

This has been a most undesirable and unsatis-A factory situation,particularly because of the loss 40 of time incurred to 'eectreplacement and the amount of labor and money required.

The present invention is designed to overcome, and in operation doesovercome or substantially reduce the above noted defects of andobjections to prior types of valve cage, and in addition provides acagemuch easier to construct, remove, repair and replace. This may be saidto constitute one of the primary objects of the invention. Anotherobject is to provide a valve cage'or such purposes as those specified,so constructed that the ball valve will be cushioned during its risingmovement and prevented from hammering with great force against the cage,thereby 'prolonging the life of the valve and the cage. A further objectis to provide a valve cagey so constructed that there is, as respectsprior types of cages for similar'purposes, less chance of the ball valvechanging its seat and causing leaksv over a long period of operation.'

Many further objects as well as the adva'Ii-f 5 tages, the uses andy'purposes of the invention will be or should become clearly understoodand.y appreciated after reading the following description and claims,and after viewing the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partially in section, of a surgeblock containing surge chambers, valves and cages constructedinaccordance with an approved form of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the i5 cages shown in Fig.l, on a larger scale.

Fig. 3 is asimilar view of-a-modied form of valve cage.

A The surge block I is preferably a heavy steel forging, or the like, inwhich three chambers, 2, 3, 20 and Il are formed in any suitable manner.Each of these chambers is closed at one end and open atthe other, thechamber 2` being arranged for connection to a source of `supply of hotoil, the chamber 3 being arranged for connection with 25 the suctionside of the piston of a reciprocating pump and the chamber l forconnection with a place to which'the hot oil is. to be delivered. Anumber of vorifices provide intercommunication between the chambers 2and 3 andbetween the 30 chambers 3 and Il. Each orifice is provided witha. valve seat, such as indicated at -5 and t, and upon these seats ballvalves 'l and 8 respectively are adapted to be seated under theinfluence of gravity and back pressure in the form illustrated, 35 toprevent the hot oil frornowing backward.

The top of the block I is provided with a number of aperturescorresponding to the number of valves, each aperture being in axialalignment with the axis of its respectivevalve orilice. These 40apertures are tapered downwardly and inwardly I to provide seatingsurfaces conforming to the upper portion 9 of the valve cages generallydesignated II, so that when the cages are placed in the apertures, atight circumferential seal may 45 be elected. The lower portion I2 ofthe cages projects downwardly into the chambers 3 and 4, respectively,and into proximity to the respective seats 5 and 6. The bottom portionI2 of the cage is recessed out, as indicated at I3, vby drilling or .50in any other suitable manner to provide a recess having a diametergreater than the diameter of the valve ball within which .the ball checkvalve may be received and reciprocate under the action of the surges ofhot oil. The depth of the recess 55 The top portion 9 of each cage mayalso be hol-' lowed out, as indicatedl by I4, forthe purpose of.

lightening the structure and for the purpose of providing a recess inwinch a tool may be inserted for assisting in removing the cage from theblock. If desired, recess I4 may be threaded internally so that a toolsimilar to that shown in l the modified form of Fig. 3 may be screwedint give greater leverage.

Oil flowing into the chamber 2 is drawn upwardly through the severalorifices communicating with`chamber 3 by the suction created by the pullof the piston pump. The ball check valves 'i rising from their aseats 5are forced upwardly into the recesses in their respective cages. pistonstarts its return or pressure stroke, the ball check valves 1 drop backon their seats and the hot oil is forced out of the chamber 3 into thechamber 4, past the check valves 8 which also close fagainst their seatson the suction stroke of the pump piston. Suicient clearance is allowedbetween the ball check valves and the side walls of their cages topermit a supply of oil to pass between th`e balls and their cages to theupper limits ofthe recesses I3, so that when the balls are,-

driven upwardly by an inflow of oil, the oil in the recesses of thecages serves to cushion the blow of the balls against the cages. Thisclearance also assists in returning the balls to their seats 1 byequalizing the pressure on their top and bottom sides. This clearance,however, is not suf- `cient'to permit the balls to flutter in the cagesand a careful proportioning to this end is desirable. 'I'he clearance orspace between the lower end 'of each cage and its respective valve seatmayv be made comparatively short because such spacing or clearance iscircumferential; in any event, the spacing distance will be considerablyless than the diameter of the ball check.

Various means for securing the cages tightly in place against the highpressures built up in the surge pump may be utilized. In the illustratedembodiment, individual straps I5 having depending hollow bosses I6adapted to rest and press upon the tops of the cages-are secured inplace and to the block I by means of a suitable number of stud bolts I1.After the cages are put in place, the straps are placed across theirtops with the vbosses resting on the top surfaces of the cages,

assembly of the valves and their associated parts.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modified form of valve cage. Lower portion I8 ofthis cage is recessed out to provide a hemispherical surface I9, Itheradius of curvature preferably being just slightly greater than theradius of curvature of the b all valve over which it is positioned. Inthis form' it may be necessary or advisable to provide, by drilling orotherwise, one or more small passageways 2 I leading from the exteriorof the cage to the interior thereof. These passageways which should be,in number, the minimum necessary, and ordinarily just one orv two, serveto equalize the pressureon each side of the ball when it rises into thehemispherical recess in the cage so4 that the ball will not st icktherein. The upper portion 22 of this cage is provided with a relativelynarrow seating surface 23 for' which a corresponding seat must beprovided in the surge chamber block. The center top portion of this cageis recessed as shown atV 24 and provided with- Asthe internal threads 25for the reception of similar threads formed on a knock-out pin 26. Thepin 26 may be provided with facets adapted to be engaged with similarinternal facets formed in the bore of the boss of the hold-'down strapso that 5 thecage may be positioned in a particular way and held in thatposition. Obviously, the cage II may be held in a fixed positionrelative to` any diameter by similar means.

The valve block, or valve chest I, is preferably 10 made of forgedsteel, A. S. T. M specifications,

while the valve cages lmay be made of cold rolled steel although theyare preferably made of Calite, the trade name of an alloy composed ofiron, nickel, chromium, aluminum and carbon, 15

or Ascoloy, the trade name of an alloy composed of iron, approximately86%, and chromium, approximately 14%. These alloys have been found to bedesirable for uses such as the present one because they areanti-corrosive.

While I have illustrated and described my invention in a preferred formand a modification thereof, I do not desire to' be limited except by.the spirit ofthe invention and the scope of the appendedl claims.

I claim:

1. In a surge valve of the character described., means providing a iluidchamber with an inlet orifice and an outlet orice, a valve seat memberproviding 'a valve seat about said inlet orice, a 30 valve cageprojecting into saidy chamber toward and. in substantially axialalignment with the axis of said seat member, said cage at its upper endbeing recessed to receive a holding means. said cage at its end adjacentsaid seat member 35 being spaced therefrom to provide a uid passage tosaid outlet orifice circumferentially of means providing a fluidchamberwith an inlet' l orifice and an outlet orice, a valve seat member 45providing a valve'seat about said inlet orifice, a valve cage having oneend projecting into said chamber toward and into the proximity of saidseat member, said cage at its upper end being recessed to receive a.holding means, the lower end 50 `of said cage being recessed and havingsubstantially continuous side walls about said recess, and

a ball valve normally seated on said seat and movable into said recessin said cage away from said seat, said cage end being spaced from said55 seat member a distance less than a diameter of said ball.

3. A valve of the character described comprising, a uid chamber providedwith an inlet oriilce, an opening in axial alignment with said 30 inletoriice formed with tapering side walls and an outlet orifice, meansproviding a valve seat about said inlet orifice, a valve cage having oneend projecting into said chamber through said opening toward'and intothe proximity of said valve 65 seat land having its other end formedwith a tapering external side wall portion engageable with the taperingwall of said'opening, said valve cage having that portion receivablewithin said chamber formed with relatively smooth and uninter- 70 ruptedside walls and having an imperforate walled recess in that end adjacentto said valve seat, means for applying thrust to the valve cage in thedirection of said chamber to maintain sealing contact between thetapering wall portions of f lthe cage and chamber opening. and a valveball normally seated on said valve seat and movable into said recess insaid cage when urged away from said seat, said recess in said cagehaving a depth less than the diameter of said valve ball, said cagebeing spaced away from said valve seat a distance less than the diameteroi the valve ball.

4. A valve of the character described comprising, a iluid chamberprovided with an inlet orice, an opening in axial alignment with saidinlet orifice formed with tapering side walls and an outlet orlilce,means providing a valve seat about said inlet orice, a valve cage havingone end projecting into said chamber through said opening toward andinto the proximity of said valve seat and having its other end formedwith a tapering external side wall portion engageable with the taperingwall of said opening, said valve cage having that portion receivablewithin said cham- .ber formed with relatively smooth and uninterruptedside walls and having an imperforate walled recess in that end adjacentto said valve seat, means-for applying thrust to the valve cage in thedirection of said chamber to maintain sealing contact between thetapering wall portions of the cage and chamber opening, and a valve ballnormally seated on said valve seat and movable 30 into said recess nlsaid cage when urged away from said seat, said recess having a diameterslightly greater than the diameter of said valve ball and a depth lessthan the diameter. but

greater than the radius of said valve ball, said 15 cage being spacedaway from said valve seat a distance less than the radius of the valveball. ARTHUR. E. WADE.

